Saltash nearly added another scalp to their season, displaying their vast improvement in recent weeks. In the first half they were quick enough to spoil the visiting Saints phases of play, opportunist enough to seize the moment and tear holes in their opponents defence and also go into half Time 13-7 in front. Both teams were testing each other at the start but Saltash established an ascendency, especially with accurate positional kicking and in the 10th Minute a coolly struck penalty from the home fly half took them into the lead. Both sides were parrying each other looking for the slightest gap, Paul Winterbottom, deciding he'd had enough of this, just made his own by finishing off good work from the Saints pack then left defenders standing with an immense show of strength and speed. Matt Shepherd converting to make it 3-7 on 25 minutes. Just a short minute wait and a good counter attack by Saltash reduced the lead to 1 point from a further Penalty. Then, from a scrum on their own 10 meter line, Saltash's scrum half saw an opening to score a fantastic solo try, this was 34 minutes in and this converted try made the score 13 -7.

Saints were a better side from the restart; the defence had regrouped, Matt Shepherd had kicked a further 3 points just 5 minutes in and play was moving primarily into the Saltash half. The home defence sensing the frustration in the Saints attackers. Shepherd then levelled the score in the 55th minute and the shape of the match was changing to a tense battle for ground and possession. Two further penalties were missed by Shepherd and you could have easily thought that the draw was on the cards. The last 5 minutes had the Saints laying siege to the Saltash line, some decisions in attack not quite going the way that was intended. And then it happened in the final play of the match, the ball spinning cleanly out through the 3/4 line for Centre Craig Taylor to Score, the relief wholly evident on the visitors faces.

Phill Raddenbury
Chairman & 1XV Manager
St Austell RFC